Here's my favorite Tarte Tatin Pommes or apple Tarte Tatin recipe, which I use to make a delicious French dessert all year round. Also known as French Tarte Tatin aux Pommes, it is an upside-down pastry with caramelized apples on top. It's yummy and absolutely delicious.
What is Tarte Tatin aux Pommes?
Tarte Tatin aux Pommes is a four-ingredient signature French apple upside-down dessert. It features caramelized apples, puff pastry, and silky caramel, which is revealed when the tart is flipped right after baking.
It was invented by two Tatin sisters, owners of a provincial French hotel named Hotel Tatin, at the end of the 19th century.
I adapted the apple Tarte Tatin recipe from French chef Christophe Michalak. Instead of frying apples in caramel before baking them, Mr. Michalak cooks apple quarters in butter-sugar syrup for 10 minutes. This makes the apples soft and allows you to arrange them in a pan with the cooked caramel as tightly as possible.
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
- Sugar: Use regular white sugar.
- Apples: Golden Delicious apples are preferable, but you can replace them with Gala, Braeburn, Boskoop, Canada, Pink Lady, or Reinette if desired.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter, preferably with 82% fat content.
- Puff pastry: Use store-bought or homemade butter-based puff pastry. You can also replace it with shortcrust pastry, any pie crust, or pie dough.
How to make Tarte Tatin Pommes
- Prepare the puff pastry: Thaw the puff pastry and roll it out to 5 mm thick. Using a 9-inch (23 cm) pie pan as a template, cut a circle of pastry. Prick it with a fork and set aside.
- Make the dry caramel: Heat ⅓ of the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan instead of stirring. Add another ⅓ of sugar, swirl again, then add the remaining sugar. Cook until the caramel turns a light amber color (about 3-4 minutes). Avoid overcooking to prevent bitterness. Immediately pour the hot caramel into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie tin and let it harden.
- Poach the apples: Peel, quarter, and core the apples. In a large pot, bring water, butter (cubed), and sugar to a boil. Add the apples and cook for about 10 minutes until translucent. Test readiness with a knife: if it slides in easily, the apples are done. Let them cool.
- Assemble the Tarte Tatin: Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Arrange the apple slices tightly in concentric circles on the caramel layer. Place the pastry circle over the apples and gently press the edges against the mold.
- Bake & Serve: Bake for 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool for 20-30 minutes. Place a serving plate on top of the mold and quickly flip to release the tart.
Expert Tips
- Pay attention to making caramel. The caramel continues to cook and, therefore, darkens from residual heat while in the hot saucepan. If it is overcooked, the baked Tarte Tatin may get a bitter, burned taste.
- Poach apples in one batch or divide apples and poach them twice. Do not overcook the apples.
- Use a different bakeware, such as a pie tin, a cake pan, or an oven-safe skillet: a special Tarte Tatin tin, a nonstick skillet (without a handle), or a cast-iron skillet.
- Arrange the poached apples tightly by pressing them down against each other and the edge of the pan.
- To reheat the cooled Tarte Tatin in the pan, bake it at 355°F (180°C) for a few minutes to liquefy the caramel. Then, flip it over and serve.
- Attention: The calorie count is calculated approximately and does not include the full amounts of caramel and poaching syrup ingredients.
- Make-ahead option: You can arrange poached apples on top of the solidified caramel, wrap them with plastic, and keep them in the fridge overnight. The next day, cover the apples with puff pastry and bake.
Storing & Freezing
Store apple Tarte Tatin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but it is best served warm, straight from the oven.
You can freeze it, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and serving.
Best apples for Tarte Tatin Pommes
Apples must hold their shape throughout cooking to make the best apple Tarte Tatin.
- Reine de Reinette, Reinette Clochard, Reinette Chanteclerc, and Belle de Boskoop apples have the right balance of sweetness and acidity.
- Gala and Golden Delicious: I use the latter to make my apple Tarte Tatin.
- Honeycrisp apples.
You must peel and core apples, slice them into quarters, and caramelize them. Gordon Ramsay and Jacques Sailer recommend peeling apples the night before and keeping them uncovered in the refrigerator to allow them to dry. This step helps avoid a soggy crust.
Recipe FAQ
A traditional tart is filled with fresh fruit, jam, or custard and baked with a pastry base at the bottom. Tarte tatin is an upside-down tart in which the fruits are first caramelized on a stovetop, then covered with pastry dough and baked.
Tarte Tatin should be made in an oven-safe skillet: a special tarte Tatin pan, a pie tin, a nonstick skillet (without a handle), or a cast-iron skillet.
Serve Tarte Tatin Pommes warm with homemade whipped cream, a dollop of crème fraîche, sour cream, sweetened mascarpone, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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PrintRecipe card
Tarte Tatin Pommes (Apple Tarte Tatin)
Tarte Tatin Pommes, or apple Tarte Tatin, is a four-ingredient signature French apple upside-down dessert with caramelized apples, puff pastry, and silky caramel.
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Tarts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For the caramel:
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
For the tart:
- 7 big apples Golden Delicious
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons ( 250 g) granulated sugar for the syrup
- 8.8. oz. (250 g) butter for the syrup
- 1 cup + 4 tablespoons (300 g) water for the syrup
- 8.8 oz. (250 g) puff pastry, thawed
*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!
** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
- Using a rolling pin, roll the thawed puff pastry out to 5 mm thick. Using a 9-inch (23 cm) pie pan as a template, cut a dough circle. Prick it with a fork and set it aside.
- To make dry caramel, place ⅓ of granulated sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Shake the pan over the stovetop while cooking the sugar, but do not use utensils. Add another ⅓ of sugar and swirl the saucepan again. Finally, add the remaining sugar. The caramel must get a beautiful color without becoming quite brown. It takes about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the caramel immediately into the bottom of a pie tin 9 inches/23 cm in diameter. Put aside for the caramel to harden.
- To poach apples, peel and cut them in quarters. Remove all seeds using a spoon or melon baller. In a large pot, place water, butter, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the apples and cook them for about 10 minutes. Remove the apples when they become translucent. Test the apples' readiness: if the tip of a knife goes in without resistance, the apples are ready. Let them cool down.
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Arrange apple quarters on the bottom of the pie mold, placing them tightly on their edges in concentric circles.
- Place a circle of puff pastry on top of the poached apples. Slightly press the edges of the pastry against the sides of the mold. Bake for 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
- Take the tart out of the oven and let it cool down for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then, place a serving platter on top of the mold and flip the tart quickly, using a sharp move. Tarte Tatin is covered with caramelized apples on top, while the puff pastry circle forms a base.
Notes
- Poach apples as one batch or divide apples and poach them in two times. Do not overcook apples!
- Arrange poached apples tightly by pressing them down and against each other.
- If the tart has cooled before serving, bake it at 355°F (180°C) for a few minutes to liquefy the caramel. Then, flip it over and serve.
- The calorie count is calculated approximately and does not include the whole amounts of caramel and poaching syrup ingredients.
- Make-ahead option: You can arrange poached apples on top of the solidified caramel, wrap them with plastic, and keep them in the fridge overnight. The next day, cover apples with puff pastry and bake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 423
- Sugar: 25.3 g
- Sodium: 183 mg
- Fat: 27.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.8 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 3.2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
The recipe was adapted from C'est pas de la tart. It was initially published on October 05, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.
Larissa says
I was so pleased with the result of Tarte Tatin. It seemed difficult to make, but in reality, it is not. I had no issues making caramel, even making it for the first time. I'm proud of myself!
Clarissa Smithee says
I followed the recipe precisely. I was confused about whether I was supposed to drain the apples (which I did.) The tart came out with a watery liquid. I thought about adding some flour or cornstarch but decided to follow the recipe as is. It did taste good, though.
Irina says
Hello Clarissa, You did right to drain the apples. Another way I used is to remove apple slices one by one. And yes, when you turn the apple tart upside down, some caramel on top may drip onto the plate. So it seems that your pastry came out perfect!